About a hundred young people — many who are underprivileged — just learned the future of their beloved boxing club, Hook Elite Boxing, is in jeopardy.

The City of Newburgh has allowed generations of competitive young boxers, all between ages six and 18, to use locker room space beneath Delano-Hitch Stadium as their training space since 2010.

But the boxers were recently told by their coach and club director Leonard Lee that they will soon have to pack up the punching bags, weights, makeshift practice ring and their hundreds of awards, and vacate the premises.

City officials recently informed the boxers that because of safety and liability concerns, the club must find a new location.

“Do they just want us to be out of the community?” boxer Elijah Williams said when reached by phone Friday afternoon. “Do they not want Hook Elite Boxing even to be a part of Newburgh?”

Williams said, through their training, the adult volunteer trainers have built young boxers’ self-esteem and kept them out of trouble.

Williams hopes the club director and city officials can find an agreement that does not disrupt their training or give his more vulnerable peers too much free time.

He said the club’s success is the city’s success.

“It’s a safe place for all the kids and everyone,” Williams said. “But once you take that away, they’ll be back to doing what they were doing before.”

City Manager Joe Donat told Spectrum News the boxing club has not had a licensing agreement with the city since 2014, which creates liability concerns for the city since the boxers use the city’s facility. He also said the location clearly does not meet COVID-19 safety regulations and did not officially apply with the state and county governments to reopen.

“It’s my understanding the boxing club is classified as a gym in the eyes of the state of New York,” Donat said during an interview on the stadium’s field. “As such, they needed to get a number of cautions and certifications in place by both state and county health departments prior to reopening.”

Donat said the city will help the boxers search for a new location, help the directors with paperwork, and help make the next location meet government reopening guidelines.

Club director Leonard Lee said a meeting with city administrators and two council members went well, though he remained suspicious of city officials.

“This coronavirus, this pandemic — I think they’re using this to push us out of here for whatever reason,” Lee said Friday afternoon. “If I’m wrong, forgive me.”

The city is in the middle making improvements to the entire stadium and plans to devote the locker room to little league teams who play here.

Donat said he would be taking this recent action with the boxing club even if the city had not been planning to take back the space.

“It’s a difficult situation the city is in with this,” Donat said. “Honest to god, we are just trying to make sure these COVID restrictions are adhered to.”

Lee said he will seek guidance from county and state health official about whether he can reopen the facility, or if he must wait until another, safer location can be found.